1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to security devices and more particularly to door stops designed to prevent unauthorized entry
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of wedge stops for doors and windows is well documented in the prior art. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 1,338,205 of Albright an adjustable door stop is described including a bifurcated wedge provided with a screw for adjusting the height of the wedge.
A number of prior art patents disclose wedges which attach to or near a door or window to prevent unauthorized entry through those closures. Some wedges attach to a surface over which the door or window must open, and thus can be used to limit, rather than prevent, the opening of the door or window.
An example of a wedge which attaches near a door to limit its opening is found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,114,936 of Dominguez. In that patent, Dominguez describes a device including a pair of elongated, nestling channel members pivotally attached together at their ends, a prop member pivotally coupled to a lower one of the channel members, and a retaining screw engaged with a threaded bore provided in the upper channel member. The prop member is raised and engaged with the retaining screw to hold the upper channel member in an inclined, wedging position.
While the door wedge device described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,114,936 performs its functions admirably, it cannot be actuated or disabled very rapidly. In a lethargic moment a person might forego its use with possibly dangerous consequences. Even more dangerous would be the situation where a person had to exit very rapidly, such as to escape a fire, and could not disable or close the wedge due to the panic of the moment.